Connector for electric conductors.



H. F. MAXIM.

CONNECTOR FOR ELECTRIC CONDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 10. m2.

1,213,393. Patented Jan. 23,1917.

p UNITED STATES PATENT oFFIoE.

HOSEA F. MAXIM, F NORFOLK, FIRGINIA. ASSIG;1\'l'0IR, OF ONE-HALF TO OTTO WELLS,

or NORFOLK, VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 23, 1917.

Application filed February 10, 1912. Serial No. 676,782.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known thatI, HosnA F. MAXIM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Norfolk, in the county of Norfolk and State of Virginia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Connectors for Electric Conductors, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad theref in to the accompanying drawing.

A connector of the type to which my invention relates is commonly known as a spring clip or terminal, and is particularly adapted for rapidly connecting or disconnecting electric wires to or from batteries, switches, etc.

The clip embodying my invention comprises a body-part to be fastened to the electrical apparatus and a spring which grips a wire firmly against a part of the body, holding the wire securely in place and providing a good electrical contact.

The principal objects of the invention are to provide in a connector of the sort referred to a spring member and a body member having an improved cooperative relationship with each other; to provide a spring member of improved form; and to provide improved means for supporting the spring member on the body member.-

Other objects will be apparent from the following specification and claims.

. In thedrawings Figure 1 is a perspective view-showing the top of a dry cell with connectors attached to the carbon and zinc elements. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the top of a dry cell showing two of my connectors of modified forms, one attached to the zinc element and the other to the carbon element. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the body part of a connector. Fig. 4 is an end elevation. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the side opposite that shown in Fig. 3. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the conductor engaging member or spring. Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the body part slightly modified from that shown in Figs. 3, 4. and 5.

In the drawings. the preferred form is shown in detail in Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6. This same form of clip is also shown assembled and mounted upon the carbon element in Fig. 1, and upon the zinc element in Fig. 2.

The numeral 1 indicates the body part of the connector, the lower portion 2 of which is so shapedas to be readily and securely this lower portion with two parallel cuts forming three tongues, the outer two being 1 bent away from the other so as to allow the lower portion of the connector to be slipped over the edge of the zinc shell 3 of a dry cell. The clip may be further secured by soldering. The other forms of clip have a hole 4 in the lower portion 2 by means of which the clip may be either riveted or bolted to the carbon element or zinc shell of a dry battery. I

The body part is substantially flat in its outlines, being stamped from a sheet of com paratively thin metal. A conductor or wire-" receiving opening 5 is formed in the upper portion of the bodynear one side, a notch 6 being formed in the upper edge of this opening so as to more securely hold a wire of small diameter. The spring 7 is mounted on the body part in such a manner that it will squeeze aconnector passed through this opening 5 against the upper edge of the opening and securely hold it in mechanical as well as electrical contact with the clip.

It will be noted that two relatively sharp corners are provided at the sides of the notch 6 and that these cooperate in securing the strong mechanical and electrical contact above referred to.

The spring? is formed from resilient wire having a straight portion 8 from one end of which extends a coil 9, the axis of which is perpendicular to the straight portion 8.

From the other end of the coil the wire is extended upward at an inclination to the straight portion 8, brought back upon itself, thus forming a finger piece and conductor engaging pressure arm 10. The free end coming from the arm 10 is bent at right angles and passes through the coil 9 parallel to its axisto form a pivot 10, the pure Dose of which will more clearly appear below.

In order to securely hold the spring memben upon the bodyportion of the clip, a ledge 11 is provided on. the body. In the preferred form this ledge comprlses a tongue punched outward at right angles to the body part with its end or t1p bent upend part of the springmember in place. A

portiouof the central part of the body 1 is cut away to form a vertical slot as at 13 so point where the coil passes from one side of the body part to the other.

In assembling the clip, the spring is slipped over the top of the body member 1 so that portions of the coil 9 lie on each side of the body, and the straight portion of the spring 8 rests within the hook formed by the tongue 11. A part of the body directly above the opening 5 is bent over at right angles to the body in the form of a lip -or stop 14: thereby limiting the upward motion of the arm 10 and retaining the spring upon the body.

The stop 14 and the ledge 11 retain the spring within vertical limits. The part of the coil which extends from one sideof the body to the other engages the body to prevent movement of the spring longitudinally ofitself (horizontally as shown in the drawings) in one direction. Movement of the spring in the other direction is prevented by means of a stop such as that at 15 which en-' gages the part 8. As shown, this stop is in the form of a lug which is punched outward from the body directly against the end of the straight portion 8. The pivot portion 10 of the spring which passes parallel with the axis of the coil 9, seats itself within a notch 16 extending horizontally from one side of the opening 13. The pivot 10 because of its engagement with the body and v because of its position within the coil, serves as a center about which the pressure arm 10 can swing and serves to hold the free section of the arm in parallelism with the spring connected section.

By pressing downward upon the outward extending arm 10, the spring is compressed, and upon being released, immediately flies upward and contacts with the stop 14. The two portions of the arm 10 pass on each side of the opening 5. To secure a conductor to the clip, the arm 10 is pressed downward and the conductor passed through the opening 5. On releasing the pressure from the arm 10, it immediately springs upward and presses the conductor into firm engagement with the edge of the opening 5.

Whereas, in some cases, it is better to have the parts between which the conductor is secured of comparatively small area to insure a positive gripping, in other cases when the wire is comparatively small and liable to shear, it is much better to have the contacting surfaces of greater area. With this end in view, I have devised the modification shown in Fig. 7 in which the opening 5 is extended upward to the plane of the lip 14: so that when the arm 10 of the spring presses the wire upward, it will press it against the full width of the lip 14 thereby preventing any possibility of the wire being sheared.

It is obvious that the lower portion 2 of the clip may be formed in any one of the different ways suitable for attaching it to different conductors. I have shown it in three diflerent forms. The type shown attached to the zinc shell in Fig. 1 has the lower portion split into three legs to straddle the shell. The clip attached to the carbon terminal 17 in the same figure is provided with a hole through which a bolt 18 is passed. The third type shown, attached to the carbon terminal 19 in Fig. 2, has the lower portion bent at right angles so that the clip may stand upright and be easily operated. In mounting this clip upon' the zinc shell of a dry battery, it is positioned with the body part approximately in line with the shell. The downward pressure on the arm 10 will have no bending effect whatever on the shell, and will eliminate one of the diiiiculties found in most other clips. Clips in which the operating pressure is ap plied perpendicular to the shell, or offset therefrom, have a tendency to bend the comparatively thin zinc element and break the insulation or loosen the contact of the clip with the shell. This is entirely overcome in my clip, and without extending the clip a material distance to one side or the other of the zinc shell.

Another advantage of my clip is the fact that it occupies comparatively little horizontal space, both the body part and the spring being fiat and lying in a vertical plane. In packing dry cells this is a great advantage as clips which extend laterally beyond the zinc .shell are liable to contact with an adjoining cell and produce a short circuit.

What I claim is:

1. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination with a flat body having an opening adapted to receive an electric conductor, of a coil spring positioned upon the body with its coil parallel to the body, one end of the said spring being extended in the form of an arm to co-act with a conductor and press it into engagement with the body, and a tongue formed on the body and adapted to receive the other end of the coil spring.

2. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination with a flat body having an opening adapted to receive an electric conductor, of a coil spring mounted upon the body with one end extended to form a finger piece adapted to co-act with the electrlc conductor, and a tongue formed outward from the plane of the body and posltioned to receive the other end of the coil spring.

3. A connector for electric conductors comprising a. flat body having an opening adapted to receive an electric conductor, a tongue pressed outward from the body, and a conductor-engagmg sprlng compris ng double coils positioned one upon each slde ductor-engaging arm, and the other end of the spring extending tangentially from the coils into engagementwith the said tongue.

4. "In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of a flat body having an opening adapted to receive an electric conductor, a spring mounted upon the body with one end extended to form a pressure arm adapted to contact with an electric conductor in the said opening, and a ledge projecting outward from the body and positioned to support the other end of the spring,

the said ledge having a flange at the outer end to hold the said end of the spring in place.

'5. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of a flat body having an opening adapted to receive an electric conductor, a spring mounted/upon the body with one end extended to form a pressure arm adapted to contact with an electric conductor in the said opening, a ledge projecting outward from the body and positioned to support the other end of the spring, a stop positioned on the body adjacent the said opening to limit the movement of the said pressure'arm when no conductor is in the opening, and means for preventing endwise {)nodvement of the spring with respect to the 6. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of. a fiat sheet metal body having an opening for receiving an electric conductor and a vertical slot separate from the said opening, and a wire spring cooperating with the said flat body to engage and retain a conductor located in the said opening, the said spring being vibratable along lines parallel with the said body and comprising a coil which extends through the said slot and across the plane of the body from one 'side thereof to the other.

, In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of a flat sheet-metal body having an opening for receiving an electric conductor and a vertical slot separate from the said opening, a wire spring cooperating with the said flat body to engage and retain a conductor located in the said opening, the said spring being vibratable along lines parallel'with the said body and comprising a coil which extends through the said slot across the plane of the body from one side thereof to the other and engages one side of the slot to limit endwise movement of the spring in one direction, and a stop on the body for engaging the spring to limit movement thereof in the other direction.

8. In a connector for electric conductors the combination of a body having an opening fpr receiving an electric conductor, a wire spring cooperating with the said body to engage and retain a conductor located in other leg of the U andv holding it in parallelism with the first said leg.

9. In a connectorfor electric conductors, the combination of a body having an opening for receiving an electric conductor, and a wire spring cooperating with the said body to engage and retain a conductor located in the said opening and comprising a U-shaped part, one of the legs of the U being formed with a coil and the other leg being formed with a pivot projecting into the said coil.

10. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of a flat sheet metal body having an opening for receiving an electric conductor, a wire spring cooperating with the said flat body to engage and retain aconductor located in the said opening and comprising a U-shaped part, one of the legs of the U on one side of the body being formed with a coil, and means engaging the body for supporting the other leg of the U on the other side of the body and holding it in parallelism with the first said leg.

11. In a connector for electric conductors,

of the U on one side of the body carrying a pivot engaging the body and the other leg on the other side of the body being formed with a coil mounted on the body.

12. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of a fiat sheet metal body having an opening for receiving an electric conductor and a vertical slot separate from the said opening, and a wire spring cooperating with the said fiat body to engage and retain a conductor located in the said opening and comprising a U-shaped part, one of the legs of the U being formed with a coil mounted on the body and extending through the said slot from one-side of the body to the other and the other leg being formed with a pivot projecting into the said coil.

13. In a connector for electric conductors, the combination of a flat sheet'metal body having an opening for receiving an electric conductor and a vertical slot supplemental to the said opening and provided with a horizontal notch at its lower end, and a wire spring cooperating with the said flat body to engage and retain a conductor located in the said opening and comprising a U-shaped part, one of the legs of the U being formed with a coil mounted on the body and extend- 14. In a connector for electric conductors, said opening and force it against the said the combination of a flat body having an corners. 10 opening adapted to receive an electric con- In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, ductor, the said opening being generally cirin presence of tWo Witnesses.

5 cular but having at one side a small notch HOSEA F. MAXIM.

forming sharp corners at the sides thereof, lVitnesses: and a spring actuated pressure arm adapted MOE LEVY,

to contact with an electric conductor in the J. L. BROUDY. 

